Just over 200,000 (~14%) of the people enumerated in the 2011 Census answered ‘yes’ to the question … In the past year, have you helped with or carried out any voluntary work without pay?
Northern Ireland (NI) has one of the highest rates of suicide in the UK and, unlike other countries; the rate among young men has been increasing in recent years. Only 28% of individuals who die by suicide in NI have been in touch with health services. The majority, therefore, are unknown to health and social services and may not be receiving the help they need. There is a need to understand the risk factors for suicide so that interventions can be targeted to those most at risk. Interest is increasing in the biological and social factors which may influence suicide risk including existing physical illness or exposure to suicide in the family. The study aims to utilize data on the family from the 2001 Census linked to death data from the GRO in the subsequent decade to determine if exposure to death by suicide in the family is associated with an increased risk of suicide in the individual.
Mental ill health places a major disease burden on society and Northern Ireland has one of the highest rates of poor mental health in the UK. A range of risk factors for poor mental health have been identified including deprivation, low education, unemployment, co-morbid physical health problems and family history. However, there are many questions relating to mental health that remain unclear; some of these form the basis of the proposed study and are listed below.
Many studies have suggested that caregiving has a detrimental impact on health, thus the terminology ‘caregiver burden’ and ‘caregiver stress’. However, these conclusions are challenged by research (including from NILS and ONS-LS) that finds evidence of a comparative survivorship advantage. It is possible that while the overall effect on mortality may be beneficial, there may be sub-groups of carers who are at a higher mortality risk. The differentiating factor may be the amount of stress experienced, as Fredman et al. (2010) found high-stress caregivers had a higher mortality risk compared to both non-carers and low stress caregivers.
Childhood environment can have a long-term impact on the individual by initiating health trajectories that either protect or increase vulnerability over the lifespan (Wadsworth ME, 1997). Change of residence can be an emotionally distressing experience, especially for children, as it can lead to the discontinuation of both familial life and social networks (Qin P, 2009). Stressful changes the individual has no control of, can be difficult to cope with and thus affect emotional well-being.
The provision of informal care[1] within the family and among neighbours plays an increasingly important role for individuals, local communities and social services in today’s ageing societies. Informal care within the home is a potentially cost effective way of maintaining people’s independence and it is a mode of care that is often found to be preferred by clients (Genet et al. 2011). However, informal care poses a considerable strain on the carer, and experiences of stress, burden and fatigue are common. If experienced over prolonged periods of time, caregiver strain and burden can result in mental health problems, such as anxiety and episodes of depression (Falloon, Graham-Hole, and Woodroffe 1993; Coope et al. 1995; Livingston, Manela, and Katona 1996; Falloon, Graham-Hole, and Woodroffe 2009).
Modern society is changing the way we live, work and relate to each other. Digitalization is eliminating the need for everyday social interactions and consequently, issues such as social isolation and loneliness are becoming pressing public health problems. Older adults are particularly susceptible to social isolation due to a number of factors such as retirement, bereavement, loss of social contacts, declining health conditions, and other age-related major life transitions. Adverse health effects of social isolation are well established at older age, including early mortality1-3. Thus, whilst people are living longer, the quality of life experienced does not necessarily correspond with the increase in life expectancy years. This is made more problematic by global trends of a rapidly ageing population.
The stigmatisation of individuals is believed to have various negative consequences. In terms of health care, for example, it is frequently argued that stigma functions so as to impede help seeking behaviour – such as would be evident in the seeking of a diagnosis or form of treatment. The impact of stigma in impeding help seeking has also been observed in relation to many other conditions such as, STDs, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, Huntington’s disease and even (though to a lesser degree) relatively common disorders such as diabetes.
